Applications are invited for a postdoctoral fellowship at the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) at Wits University on a ESRC/GCRF-funded Protracted Displacement project. The project aims to improve healthcare at the intersection of gender and protracted displacement amongst Somali and Congolese internally displaced people (IDPs) and Somali and Congolese refugees in Nairobi and Johannesburg.

The successful applicant will be based at Wits University and conduct research in South Africa and will also collaborate closely with our partner research teams in Somalia, Eastern DRC, Kenya, and at the University of Edinburgh.

Starting in January 2021 (negotiable), the successful applicant will join an interdisciplinary team of scholars exploring health and migration in southern Africa. With a home base in Johannesburg, post-doctoral fellows are encouraged to develop and participate in projects across the region.

The postdoc will work with project co-investigator Associate Professor Jo Vearey.

More about the project can be found here: https://displacement.sps.ed.ac.uk/

Essential qualifications and experience:

• Fluency and experience of conducting research in English and at least one of isiNdebele or chiShona
• A PhD in a Migration & Displacement, Anthropology, Health Sociology, Public Health or an associated discipline
• Prior experience in health systems research in South Africa, including research in help-seeking and with plural healthcare systems, diverse healthcare users, public and NGO healthcare providers, and policy makers
• Knowledge of the South African public healthcare system and current responses to migration and mobility
• Firm grounding in qualitative research methods (interviews, focus groups, observation, participatory approaches) and data analysis
• Familiarity with quantitative data collection (survey) and descriptive analysis
• Willingness to learn and then teach a new methodological tool (social connections)
• Ability to work across disciplines (including social anthropology, African studies, public health disciplines, development economics, etc.)
• Ability to communicate clearly in written and oral English
• Working knowledge of the global migration and health governance terrain
• A demonstrated ability to independently manage fieldwork in challenging settings
• An ability to travel to other areas of South Africa when required for fieldwork
• Experience in collaborating internationally as part of large and/or complex research teams.

Timeframe: one year with possibility for renewal dependent on performance and availability of funding

Remuneration: ZAR 395,000 per year, plus Wits medical aid and ZAR 10,000 research funding

Application process: Please submit a completed application to Naledi Mazibuko naledi.mazibuko@wits.ac.za by 30^th October 2020. Only short-listed applicants will contacted and invited for interview. Anticipated start-date: 1^st January 2021 (negotiable). Applications should include:

• full CV
• cover letter outlining your reasons for applying for the position
• academic writing example
• overview of experience working in the field of migration and health in southern Africa
• details of two referees

Further information: jo.vearey@wits.ac.za